books, books and more books…

Daily Archives: April 3, 2010

The story revolves mainly around 3 characters of the book-Alexandra Parker,Sam Parker and their 3 and half year old daughter Annabelle. Alex is partner at one of New York’s most prestigious law firms and Sam Parker is a star venture capitalist, a Wall Street whiz kid. Theirs is a life which is totally hanky- dory.They are rich,famous and totally in love with each other even after 17 years of their married life. A picture perfect family anyone could envy!!

Alls super well until one day when the ‘lightning’ struck their life.Sam is caught off guard by Alex’s illness.He is terrified of losing his wife,his family and the love for her.On the other hand his past keeps haunting him and keeps him from helping Alex in her struggle to survive and go through this turbulent times. Alex, somehow is trying to cope up with her illness and she needs Sam so much right then but is left all alone since Sam refuses to accept that she has the illness.He goes into complete denial mode and doesn’t want to be realistic. He thinks Alex is being too much hyper about nothing and affecting him and Annabelle and she has no right to spoil their lives !The ‘lightning’ creates a distance between them and within no time they both become strangers to each other living under one roof. It gets difficult for both of them with their individual fears inside their hearts and the distance keeps growing.The distance is evident and Annabelle notices that but the kid that she is,she is totally unaware of the consequences of their parent’s fading love.

While they are at it,struggling to manage their dying marriage another lightning strikes them and it’s about Sam’s rocking career. His life and identity are on a toss. They both are on a crossroad where Alex and Sam have to decide which way they need to move and whether they need to move together at all !

Danielle Steel has weaved the story in such a manner that it has everything right from romance,sex,hope,family,love,marriage, relationship,suspense and it has this psychological angle to the entire plot. She has shown what happens to the entire family when a lightning strikes to otherwise smooth and happy going life and how the family members are affected individually.The struggles to save the relationship and self-identity !

Through the entire novel you would feel that you are changing sides. At some point you may feel that Alex is right and after a while you might feel that Sam is not wrong either. It’s a gripping tale and I guess one the best of Danielle’s that I have read till now [The other being ‘Klone and I’ & ‘The Promise’].Though I didn’t think the end was logically right.But only if I was writing this story ;)